About

1966: The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is founded by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in New York City's East Village.

1968: New Vrindaban, the first Hare Krishna commune, is established in West Virginia.

1968: Allen Ginsberg appears on William F. Buckley's Firing Line TV show, singing the Krishna mantra while playing a harmonium.

1970: George Harrison, who later says hearing Hare Krishna chanting for the first time was "like a door opened somewhere in my subconscious, maybe from some previous life," features the Krishna mantra in his song "My Sweet Lord," which hits No. 1 in the U.K. and the U.S.

1973: Steve Jobs attends Hare Krishna dinners each Sunday after dropping out of Reed College, then travels to India the next year to explore his spirituality.

1977: In a case that examained the possible cultlike practices of Hare Krishnas, the New York Supreme Court dismisses charges of unlawful detainment and extortion against two senior ISKCON members, declaring the movement "a bona fide religion with roots in India that go back thousands of years."

1967: Led by Prabhupada, the first Ratha-yatra festival (a celebration that involves carrying deities in chariots) outside India is held in San Francisco.

1978: Krishnas are included in Newsweek's special report on alleged cults titled HOW THEY BEND MINDS.

1980: In Airplane!, two Hare Krishnas enter the airport and are approached by a member of the Church of Religious Consciousness looking for a handout. One replies, "No thanks, we gave at the office."

1990s: Straight-edge hard-core bands out of New York City begin embracing Krishna ideals, forming a new subculture dubbed Krishnacore. (pictured, the band Shelter)

2001: A class-action lawsuit alleges that more than 500 children in Krishna schools and temples were abused in the 1970s and '80s. ISKCON eventually settles the case for $9.5 million.

2008: Russell Brand chants "Hare Krishna" to reporters outside his London home and closes the Video Music Awards with a shout-out to Hare Krishna.

2012: Mad Men features a story line in which former advertising exec Paul Kinsey has joined Hare Krishna and is cuckolded by the controlling Mother Lakshmi.

2014: A Hare Krishna temple that will accommodate 15,000 worshippers opens in Houston in May.

1980: Two kids in Krishna robes appear on the cover of Life magazine with the headline CHILDREN OF A HARE KRISHNA COMMUNE.